Peacock revealed the first trailer for Bel-Air, the incoming reboot of iconic 1990s comedy The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, this Monday — and fans don’t know what to make of it. The original sitcom, which ran for six seasons from 1990 to 1996, turned Will Smith into a household name and remains a favorite with those who grew up with it to this day. So this bold reimagining, which replaces the humor with a gritty teen drama aesthetic, is unsurprisingly proving controversial.
As exec produced by Smith himself, Bel-Air roughly follows the same premise as the old show, just with a very different tone and a few updates. Jabari Banks stars as Will, whose life is turned upside down when he’s sent from the streets of West Philadelphia to live with his Uncle Phil (Adrian Holmes) and Aunt Viv (Cassandra Freeman) in affluent Bel-Air.
Without even a hint of the iconic theme tune, the Bel-Air trailer just felt too different from its source material for some.
Others hold so much affection for the original, they’re willing to give this one a go, although comparisons to Riverdale feel pretty apt.
The problem for many seems to be that they’ve used the same characters as Fresh Prince but given them completely different personalities. For instance, sarcastic butler Geoffrey has been reinvented as a tough bodyguard-type.
Asking the important questions…
Was it really necessary?
The trailer reveals that Will’s “one little fight” that got him packed off to Bel-Air is now a major incident of gang warfare that has left Will as the target of a powerful crime boss. So, that’s a thing.
On the other hand, some are just too intrigued not to check it out.
The most offensive change of all.
Bel-Air premieres on Peacock with its first three episodes on Super Bowl Sunday, aka Feb. 13.